should I have bet the river (or even been there)?

4-8 fairly typical, a couple of real loosies. EP limps, I raise in LP with AsKc, only BB and EP call, 3 to the the flop for 2 SBs each.


Flop comes Qc Qh Ah checked to me, I bet, both call.


Turn is 8h BB bets out, EP calls, I call (questionable?)


River comes Qd Checked around.


I think I made a couple mistakes here. Comments? Results and thoughts below.

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I win the showdown against BBs Th3h and Sbs TJo In retrospect I think that anyone slowplaying a Queen on the flop qould have checkraised the turn. I think calling the turn bet was a mistake. The chance of a flush is pretty darn good given the straightfoward LL play I usually see. With a made flush, I'm drawing to four outs (two aces and two queens). Not so good I think. Once I saw the Queen on the river however I think there was little doubt I had the best hand. I think maybe betting the river might have bought me a bet or two. What do you all think?

You should raise the turn.


If you call the turn with this hand, you're committed to calling the river anyway (you might fold if a fourth heart comes down, but that's about the only card you can justify folding to).


Since you're committed to 2 more big bets, you might as well put them both in now by raising. The advantages are:


1. You stand to win a lot more money if you get callers. People are more likely to call a raise on the turn than a bet on the river. And they will often call both, especially in low-limit games. So by raising you're giving yourself a chance to win as much as 2 extra big bets.


2. If either opponent is drawing you're seriously messing up their pot odds.


3. You improve your chances of winning the pot. They might fold on the turn, or they might be more inclined to fold on the river if you raise on the turn then bet the river. This hand isn't the best example but for example someone with an ace and weak kicker might bail out on the turn if you raise, so you don't wind up chopping the pot on the river if an A or Q comes.


4. You're less likely to get bluffed at on the river.


Note that you can easily fold if someone 3-bets the turn. At low limits, they're not going to bluff a 3-bet here, not with this board.


You can't play hold'em if you're always scared that your opponents have the perfect hands. This is especially true in low-limit where they could have almost anything. The percentages say on this hand you have the winner, so play it aggressively and don't be afraid of hearts or a Q.


Note that if the field is larger, the chances of someone having a Q or 2 hearts is higher, so you should be more inclined to just call it down. But vs 2 opponents one of whom is in the BB, you figure to be the favorite over the long haul.


TRLS

That was pretty pansy-ass to not bet the river with Queens full